As some of you may know, I’ve been studiously writing a multi-part essay on “Capturing and Captivating a Mostly Distance-Learning Audience.” The platforms are webinar and teleconferencing and the unprecedented program success (in terms of “spin-off gigs”) has been surprising. I've been trying to understand how the setting and structure of these two recent programs has affected my presentati...

As federal contractors, academic institutions are responsible for abiding by the regulations enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which include taking affirmative action with respect to employment. The additional challenge for academic institutions is implementation of affirmative action in admissions. This is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Ri...

As Foley and Lardner reported recently, on April 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter clarifying its stance on the classification of workers in the gig economy. The letter provided good news to those who contract with workers in the 'gig economy,' concluding, based on the facts provided, that with respect to the specific company that solicited the letter, its workers would be properly classi...

In the prior articles in this series, we concluded that the Supreme Court's pattern or practice holdings in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 564 U.S. 338 (2011), provide important guardrails applicable to OFCCP enforcement actions. The last installment examined the Supreme Court's specific holdings regarding allegations of a pattern or practice of disparate treatment. Here, we will consider the Supreme Court's ho...

According to the latest report from the Department of Defense, there are more than 50,000 active duty military service men and women in the state of South Carolina. Of those, 10 percent will leave the military each year. But will they stay in South Carolina? Additionally, 240,000 will separate from the military outside of South Carolina. And we certainly want them to relocate here. So what can employers do to attract vetera...

The Reality of Job Search
Patience, Grasshopper: If ever this phrase was more applicable, it is during executive job search.
After weeks, or even months of introspection and prep to launch your newly rebranded career portfolio, it may be tempting to expect to ‘rush’ to the results finish line. Landing that first interview seems like it should be just around the corner, now. After all, you’ve been run...

Over 3,500 contractor locations will be receiving scheduling letters according to the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter (CSAL) list that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published in its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library on March 25, 2019. In addition to the anticipated compliance reviews by OFCCP, contractors should be aware of another concern, often overlooked...

Slash careerists, moonlighting, freelancing. TThere are many terms for working extra jobs, but no matter what you call it, more than 44 million people have side hustles.
Millennials aren’t the only ones creating new sources of income while holding down a day job. Baby boomers are cashing in on the trend as well. Soon-to-be-retirees out-earn Millennials when it comes to side hustle income, taking home an average of...

You know what to do with an underperforming employee, but what about an efficient but difficult one?
I’m a strong believer that you can’t be too positive or too empathetic in the business world. Yes, a lot of places of business are far from that ideal, but that’s exactly why you should distinguish yourself from the dog-eat-dog norm and try to make your work life a place of caring and sensitivity.
Why...